As Their Ratings Skyrocket, CNN's Don Lemon Laments: Michael Brown Funeral Should Be More than "Media Spectacle"
Today was Michael Brown’s funeral. #MikeBrownFuneral was a top trend on Twitter. Multiple media outlets live streamed the service. Al Sharpton eulogized. At least three Obama administration officials attended. The Nation of Islam covered crowd control. Countless celebrities and entertainers were in attendance, and t-shirts were sold.
One thing is clear: Trumped by the politics of self-interest and ratings-boosting media narratives, Michael Brown’s death stopped being about Michael Brown almost immediately after he was pronounced dead....
"Don Lemon tweeted about taking a “break from twitter today in respect for parents & lives lost. Not choosing sides.” He tweeted that with a picture of him hugging Michael Brown’s mother. Hashtag: #FAIL ", writes Jerome Hudson.
Loaded with bitter irony, this post is recommended reading for those who follow journalism.